A look in the mirror
by petran
Summary: PREQUEL TO MY UPCOMING KONOHAMARU X HANABI FANFIC! He never meant to hurt her. But he did. And the worst part was that he didn't even realise it. As Kiba's life choices start to weigh down on his conscience, he recalls the times he has had with a certain Hyuga heiress. Originally written as side-story for the "Sparks" fanfic, now rewritten to fit manga canon.
1. Looking in the mirror

**This story was supposed to be a guest-sidestory for the excellent "Sparks" NaruHina fanfic. I wrote this in order to give Tenneyshoes a springboard for a future "Sparks" chapter involving the relationship between Hinata and Hanabi -the main idea being that Hanabi couldn't connect with her sister and relate with what she was going through, until, she, herself started having feeling for someone.**

**The story wound up being over 8K words long, much too big for a simple side-story and it wound up going in a completely different direction than what Tenneyshoes wanted to take with the characters. So it was something that just couldn't be used.**

**So I rewrote the fic, making it more canon compliant, and removed any elements that refered to the "Sparks" fanfic such as Kimiko (an OC character present in "Sparks" and the "Path We Walk") and Naruto's and Hinata's wedded life.**

**Consider this the prequel to my upcoming KonoHana fic!**

**And Tenneyshoes, if you change your mind, please tell me and I will rewrite the fanfic, reinserting all the references to "Sparks". I love it and I would be honored if you used it!**

**NOTE: Continuity wise this occurs some time after the 4th Shinobi War but before the events that occured in "The Last"...**

* * *

He stumbled as he reached his home, his past actions finally catching up to him. His feet could barely move him as his conscience started to weigh down on him. His movements were automatic, almost robotic. He could barely register the environment around him, and was now lost in his own thoughts…

…and he was supposed to be a _tracker_ for crying out loud!

Akamaru softly licked his master's hand, knowing that something was wrong with him. He let out a soft whine, and rubbed his head against his feet, trying to get his attention.

Touched, the young Inuzuka softly bent down and gave his canine companion a hug. He was glad that Akamaru was still with him, by his side, despite everything that has happened.

"I'm gonna be OK, Akamaru. Don't worry about me."

The white dog sniffed his master and gave him a comforting lick. He then stared at Kiba, as if saying _"Are you sure?"_

"No, seriously! Akamaru! I'm going to be OK! All right? I just need to think about everything that has happened."

The white dog wagged his tail and lowered his head. He was willing to give his master some space.

Kiba changed his dog's water and refilled his food container. He patted Akamaru on the head and rubbed his ears.

"Eat up and don't worry about me, I am fine, see?"

He grinned at Akamaru. The dog didn't buy it for a second, but decided to focus on his food until his master needed him again.

He took the house-key out of his pocket and opened the door to his house. No one was inside…

_'__Naturally…'_

He heard her voice inside his head.

**_"_****_I want to be with you."_**

He felt sick once more.

Personal hygiene was not something that the Inuzuka clan was big at. As a clan that specialized in tracking and odors, and used dogs as part of their ninjutsu and life-style, the Inuzukas considered their natural smell a part of their identity. He loved to soak in the hot-springs and have long baths, but he wasn't that much on that "Soap-Thing", applying only as little as possible in order to preserve his natural smell.

Today however, he felt an urgent need to thoroughly clean himself… He felt filthy… He felt…

_…__dirty!_

His clothes dropped to the floor as soon as he could take them off. He didn't even bother to pick them up from the floor and put them in the laundry basket. His need to clean himself _right now_ was much bigger than his need to keep the house clean.

He stepped inside the shower and let the water hit him. He closed his eyes and replayed the last few hours inside his head. How could he have been so stupid? How could he have been so _blind?!_

Kibamaru loved the single-man's lifestyle. He loved going around places meeting a variety of different women and being bound to no-one. He loved the freedom, he loved the excitement. He loved the one-night-stands, and the short-term relationships. Hell, he even loved the pain that came when he got shot down or broke up. It was all part of the "game". It was what gave it flavor!

When people called him a "dog" or a "mutt", he took it as a _compliment_. After all, his clan specialized in dogs. Why should anybody be surprised if he _strayed_ a little? As long as he was loyal to his family, as long as he was always there for his friends, as long as he completed the missions successfully, what was the harm in being polyamorous? It's not like he was actually hurting anybody.

He heard her cracking voice inside his head once more…

**_"_****_It hurts!"_**

He was wrong! _Dead_ wrong! He had hurt her! And he did it without even realizing it! Which was the worst part...

He started scrubbing his skin roughly with shampoo, as if he was trying get rid of a horrible stench. He slapped and rubbed his face trying to punish himself for what he had done. His trademark facial marks fell down from his face as he scratched them and turned the water crimson red. He laid his head on the shower wall and a single name escaped his lips.

"Hanabi…"

He finally got out of the shower and wiped himself dry. As he exited the bathroom he came face to face with the mirror.

Kiba was never one of those guys that spent hours in front of a mirror trying to groom themselves. His hair was always messy, and he could draw his facial marks without even looking at it. He was quite confident in his looks and he never paid even a passing glance dismissing it as a "vain habit".

But right here, right now, the mirror beckoned. As if it was trying to tell him something. It invited him to not only look at it but actively _study_ it.

He glared at the reflection that was in front of him. Here he was now, with his hair down, his facial marks gone, completely naked and exposed. Nobody here but himself and his thoughts.

The man that was standing at the other side of the mirror stared back at him intently. He seemed to be talking to him. Scrutinizing him. He asked the same series of questions over and over again.

_"__Who are you?"_

_"__What are you looking for?"_

_"__Where have you been doing all this time?"_


	2. Who are you?

**NOTE: This flashback occurs before the timeskip (Pre-Shippuden)  
**

* * *

_Who are you?_

* * *

The first time he saw her she was practicing some complex martial art moves by a tree in the center of the Hyuga household…

It was the first time he and Kiba were allowed inside the Hyuga compound. Hinata was supposed to pick up some supplies necessary for the upcoming mission and had to pack some staff from her room.

Kiba and Hinata entered the compound together. Akamaru had previously gone outside for "business", and Shino went for a walk in the forest in order to give some nectar to some of his special insects.

Hinata made an effort to greet the little girl when she came in.

"Hallo, Hanabi-chan! How are you today?"

The girl chose to ignore her, focusing on her training instead, while Hinata hung her head low and went upstairs to her room. Kiba carefully looked at the girl that was currently trying to do a bizarre backflip. She was small, petite, with a look of determination in her eyes.

So, _that_ was Hanabi?! Kiba was honestly shocked. Hinata always spoke in love and admiration about her sister. The way she described her, she sounded more like a cool big sister, rather than the rude little squirt he was watching right now…

"You know, it's not polite to ignore your sister when she talks to you!"

Hanabi stayed silent and tried to hit the leaves of the upper branch with her feet.

"It's not polite to ignore me either."

Total silence.

Giving up on having a conversation with her, Kiba decided to focus on watching her moves. Hanabi was small but her movement had a certain poise and grace. Her punches and her kicks seemed more like a hypnotic dance rather than a fighting style. It reminded him of his gentler, lavender-eyed team-mate.

The little girl jumped upwards and proceeded to perform a downwards chakra-filled kick. Kiba recognized the move immediately, as it was something that Hinata had used in their previous mission. He didn't exactly remember the name she used though, only that it had something to do with birds. He decided to compliment Hanabi anyway.

"Well, that was a flawless execution of the 'Charging Hawk!"

The girl stopped and looked at him. She was not amused.

"It's called the 'Soaring Eagle'!"  
"Oh, you can talk?"  
"Please, have more respect for the Hyuga fighting style!"

Kibamaru could only scoff at the last statement.

"I only give my respect to people that have actually _earned_ it. Neither you, your fighting style, or the rest of the Hyugas have so far done so."

The little girl huffed in anger and lunged towards him.

"Apologize! Now!"  
"Or what? You are going to hit me with a 'rising pecker'?"

Hanabi's assault stopped abruptly as her face turned red. She couldn't believe what she just heard coming from that strange boy's mouth. She looked at Kiba for a little while in disbelief…

…Then she started laughing. It started as a small faint laugh, but it quickly escalated into full blown mirthful belly laughter.

Kiba couldn't figure out what was so funny. Truth be told, he didn't think what he just said. He just wanted to make a simple bird pun about her moves. It wasn't until he replayed the last few words he just said in his mind that he realized the full implications of his wording.

_'__Rising… Peck… Oh!'_

He turned red and started laughing as well. He accidentally just told the future Hyuga Heiress, a ten year old girl, THAT sort of joke…

…and she was laughing her butt off!

Hanabi tried to compose herself in between fits of laughter.

"There's… haha… There's no such move!"  
"I just have to ask… is there a 'sitting ass' in the Hyuga moveset?"

Kiba watched as little Hanabi burst into loud laughter once more. He smiled. Despite all the martial arts training, despite all the strictness of the Hyuga household, despite everything that was going on between her and her sister; she was still a little kid at heart.

Hinata's little kid sister eventually got her laughter contained into a slight giggle. He approached Kiba and gave him a playful punch that he easily blocked. She then proceeded to do a quick foot-sweep that knocked him down. Kiba looked upwards as Hanabi smiled at him.

"No, there isn't! But I believe it's most definitely in _yours_!"  
"Hmph! Touché. I guess I set myself up for that one."

It was at this point that Akamaru got into his face and started licking it.

"Took you long enough to finish! I could really have used your help here."

Hanabi's face brightened.

"Oh! Cute Puppy!"  
"Oi! He is not a cute puppy! He is my partner! My Ninken! A fierce ninja dog!"

Hanabi whistled playfully and Kiba watched in disbelief as Akamaru stopped licking him and approached her.

He got up from the ground and took the time to appreciate the cute scene that was happening in front of him: Hinata's ten-year-old sister playfully shook Akamaru's paw and then gave him a warm petting hug. She had a wide smile as Akamaru started licking her face…

…then and there, Kiba decided that he actually _liked_ the little squirt.

"What's his name?"  
"He is Akamaru."  
"Nice to meet you Akamaru!"  
"Aren't you going to ask what _my_ name is?"

Hanabi looked dejectedly at him and then at the ground.

"Uhmm…"  
"I mean, you just tried to fight me. Weren't you supposed to _introduce_ yourself to me first and ask me my name before fighting?"

Hanabi looked at the ground trying to find excuses.

"My sister called me by name… I thought it was enough…"  
"You should have done so yourself, and you still should have asked for mine."  
"Sorry…"

He smiled at her in a conspirational way.

"Tell you what. If you don't say anything to your father about the "rising pecker" thing, I won't say anything to him about you breaking fighting etiquette."  
"Deal!"

He extended his hand offering her a handshake. After an initial bit of hesitation she shaked it back. It felt very rough and calloused but she didn't feel put off by it.

"My name's Kibamaru, but you can call me Kiba. I already know your name's Hanabi so… Nice to meet you, I guess…"

Hanabi smiled brightly at Kiba once more. He couldn't help but notice how cute she actually was.

He then heard a noise in the nearby and looked upwards in the distance. It seemed like Hinata exited her room and started descending the stairs. She must have packed already.

"Hanabi…"  
"Yeah?"  
"That flying kick move you did earlier? The "Flying Eagle"?"  
"_Soaring_ Eagle!"  
"Yeah, that's the one… You sister saved my life with it in our last mission."  
"What!?"

The dog ninja faced Hanabi with a completely serious look on his face.

"We were ambushed by some enemy nin that wore some sort of weird armor and our team got separated. I had to face one of them with Akamaru. We hit him we everything we got but no matter what we tried, we couldn't get past his defenses. He beat me and Akamaru pretty good. He had us cornered and was ready to land a killing blow…"

He could see that Hanabi was hanging at his every word…

"…And then Hinata showed up and delivered a chakra-filled kick right to his face! The guy didn't stand a chance!"

Hanabi's eyes widened in a mix of shock and amazement. Was he really talking about Hinata?

"Your sister is one of the few people that have actually earned my respect."

He beckoned Akamaru to come back to him. The little white dog gave one last lick to Hanabi's hand and returned to Kiba's side.

"She deserves way more respect than what she gets here, that's for sure."

Hinata just exited the building she was in and approached them. She looked awfully down. Kiba smiled brightly at her.

"Are you finally ready to go?"

Hinata nodded sadly. She didn't feel like talking much.

"Akamaru's already here. Let's go pick up Shino and head out."  
"OK…"

Kibamaru, nodded to Akamaru who started following him and headed towards Shino who was just finishing feeding his insects outside. He left Hinata behind to sort her stuff out.

As Hinata steadied her back-pack and started following Kiba and Akamaru, she was surprised to hear a small-voice behind her.

"Hinata?"

She turned around to face Hanabi with a look of shock on her face. She couldn't believe her sister was actually talking to her again.

"Ye-Yes, Hanabi-chan?"  
"Stay safe during your mission, OK?"

As Team 8 was exiting Konoha's gates, Kiba couldn't help but notice that Hinata was in a considerably good mood and was smiling all the way to the mission's destination. It was very unlike the polite smiles that she usually forced herself to do in order to cheer up her team. It was a genuinely warm happy smile.

For some reason he felt very happy with himself.


	3. What are you looking for?

**NOTE: This flashback occurs after the timeskip, and before the 4th Great Shinobi War**

* * *

_What are you looking for?_

* * *

"Where has that dog run-off to?"

Kiba was currently looking for Akamaru. He was walking with him, enjoying the festivities of Konoha's Annual Spring Festival, and the next thing he knew he was gone and was nowhere to be found.

He explicitly told him to wait outside the barbecue tent in order to get some meat snacks to share with him. No pets were allowed in the tent for hygiene reasons, so Kiba had to go inside alone. He stood in line for 10 minutes, bought the meat snacks and went outside to share them with him.

To his surprise Akamaru was nowhere to be found.

It was the first time Akamaru had done something like that. Normally, he and Kiba were inseparable, two parts of a whole. They walked together, they ate together, and they fought together. Akamaru and Kiba had a strong bond, which was far stronger than that of an owner and his dog. It was highly unusual for Akamaru to go off and run away from him, especially when meat snacks where involved.

He started to panic. Losing Akamaru was like losing an arm, or losing his eyesight. It was like losing a member of his family. His mind got flooded with a million scary thoughts. What could possibly have happened to him? He had to find him quick.

A flow of chakra went up his nose and his sense of smell became more sensitive than before…

…it was a very bad move.

A variety of completely different scents covered Akamaru's and almost caused Kiba to faint. The festival sported many different "loud" smells, from flowers, to restaurants, to perfumes, to stink bombs, to animals and people. Trying to pick up Akamaru's scent in that chaos was like trying to listen to a song while the radio is playing one hundred different stations at full volume _all at once._ He immediately got a headache and returned his sense of smell back to normal.

_'__Damn! I guess I'll do this the hard way.'_

He started walking around the festival yelling for Akamaru's name and asking questions. Most of the people had seen a white dog that fitted Akamaru's description, but they kept giving him wrong and conflicting directions.

_'__Come on Akamaru! Where are… oof!'_

Kiba's train of thought was interrupted by a sharp bump to his chest.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

He looked downwards to see a very familiar girl who, was, at the moment, lying down on the ground, grasping her head. She was wearing the traditional black Hyuga training gear and a bright brown jacket.

"Hanabi?"  
"Kiba?"

He offered his hand and lifted her off the ground.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you. I am sort of in a panic. I can't find Akamaru anywhere."  
"Akamaru is missing?!"  
"Yeah, have you seen him anywhere?"

Hanabi, closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to think if she had seen Kiba's big white dog anywhere. She couldn't recall anything useful. The last she had seen Akamaru was last week in her compound, when Kiba and Shina dropped off her sister to the compound and had a brief chat after a particularly difficult mission. She didn't recall seeing him at the festival.

"No, I can't say I have."  
"Damn! Thanks anyway!"  
"Wait, Kiba! Can't you just smell where your dog is?  
"I already tried it. It's no use. There are too many strong scents here in the festival."

As he turned around to leave he felt her hand tugging at his sleeve.

"Wait! I… I will help you find him!"  
"Are you sure? You are not busy at the moment?"  
"I have some stuff to do in a few hours, but it's not something urgent. I can always spare some time for a friend in need."

The dog-owner smiled. For some reason Hanabi and Kiba got on very well over the years. Akamaru liked her (and Kiba knows that Akamaru wouldn't like a bad person), and she always found Kiba's company to be… refreshing to say the least. He could always make her smile and even managed to make her laugh quite a few times. Normally she would be formal, tight and reserved, but, for some reason, Kiba could always make her lighten up.

She made a hand-sign and squinted her eyes.

"Byakugan!"

Kiba watched in gratitude as Hanabi looked around the festival, looking for Akamaru with her kekai genkai. She was immensely focused as she turned her head and dilated her pupils trying to detect Kiba's missing dog.

"Do you see anything?"  
"All I can tell you right now is that Akamaru is not in the festival"

Her focus turned on the outskirts of the festival. Her head turned as she tried to pick up Akamaru's familiar chakra signature. Kiba watched in amazement as her expression became more intense, and her eyesight went further.

"I can see him! He is outside the festival! He is not alone!"  
"What's happening?"  
"There's _something else_ with him! It looks like they are fighting!"  
"Akamaru's in danger?! Tell me where he is quickly!"  
"Over there! Follow me!"

Hanabi quickly run up a tree in the festival and started jumping from branch to branch as Kiba followed her. Her eyesight was completely glued to Akamaru and the other presence that was with him. A sense of urgency run through her as she silently prayed for Kiba's canine companion to stay safe long enough until they arrived to help him.

The more they approached Akamaru, the more Hanabi could see the situation more clearly…

…At first it seemed like Akamaru was fighting another person…

…Then it became clear that what was fighting Akamaru was not human…

…It was another dog…

…and then it became apparent that Akamaru was most definitely _not _fighting with _her…_

She abruptly stopped and addressed Kiba who was a few feet behind her.

"We shouldn't go any further!"  
"But, Akamaru…"  
"Akamaru is not in any danger! **Trust me**!"  
"But why did he…"

It was at that point that Kiba saw Hanabi's face. It was crimson red. Her byakugan was still activated but in between the veins in her face, he could see that she had an expression very akin to embarrassment.

He activated his sense of smell once more. It only took him a small whiff to understand what was going on.

_'__Akamaru, you "dog", you!'_

Hinata's little sister was currently sitting on the tree branch and was busy catching her breath. Her blush was fading, but she was still looking downwards towards the ground as she was huffing. Kiba could see that she was very uncomfortable about the whole incident.

He sat down beside her and showed her the bag he had with him.

"Meat snacks?"  
"Aren't you supposed to share those with Akamaru?"  
"Well, he ran away without giving any sign of where he was going, so no meat snacks for him today."

_'__Besides he already got his "treat" for the day.'_

"No, thanks. I am supposed to have a formal dinner later today."

Kiba opened the bag and put it near her face, allowing the smell of barbecued meat to hit her nostrils.

"Are you absolutely sure?"  
"N-No! I have to preserve my appetite for later!"

Kiba took out a meat snack and started eating it in front of her. He made sure he chewed and savored it as loudly as he could. Hanabi looked at the bag longingly.

"I can see you droo~ling!" he said in teasing way.

Hanabi abruptly grabbed the bag, took out a bunch of meat snacks and started stuffing her face as Kiba looked with a wide grin on his face. The poor girl must have been starving!

"And the meal later?"  
"Ah vill nof eef vey muff…" (I will not eat very much…)  
"OK, just… slow down and chew carefully!"  
"OHey!" (OK!)

She eventually swallowed her mouthful and her facial expression turned to normal as she relaxed and breathed the clean air around her.

"I'm sorry that you got to see that…" said the dog owner.

She gave him a playful punch on his shoulder.

"It's all right Kiba! I already know about the 'birds and the bees'."  
"You do?"

She pointed at her eyes.

"Byakugan, remember? You tend to find out about these sort of things sooner when you have an eye that can see through walls."  
"You mean you used your byakugan to _peep_?"

Hanabi blushed and started flapping her hands around.

"Not on purpose!"  
"Then how?"

She leaned forward and pressed her head inside her arms. This was clearly something she wasn't proud of admitting.

"Sometimes I just have to… go… you know… relieve myself… at night… and it's too dark and I have to activate my eyes in order to find my way to… the place… and I do see things. So don't worry about me Kiba! I am not irrevocably traumatized. I know about those things."

Kiba sighed in relief.

"Good! I'd hate to be the one that has to give you 'the talk'."  
"Say… Kiba?"  
"Yeah?"

Hanabi's face formed a deep blush.

"Have you and Hinata ever tried to do…"

…she pointed her thumb backwards towards Akamaru's general direction…

"…that?"

His face took an expression like she had just asked him to wear Shino's old used bug-infested underwear. The meat snacks he just had nearly rose up to his throat.

_'__Where the hell did that come from?'_

"What?! NO! HELL NO!"  
"Why not? You two seem close."  
"Hinata is like little sister to me! I've never seen her in such a way! Never have, never will! Can we please just drop the subject?"

She looked somewhat relieved at his answer.

"OK, but I will ask you one last question…"  
"What?"  
"If Hinata is like a little sister to you… what does that make… me?"

Kiba answered without thinking about it very much.

"The little sister of my little sister I guess. So little sister… squared? Times two? I was never good at the whole math thing."

Hanabi glared at him with a dejected look on her face.

"I'm _not_ your little sister Kiba! And I'm not Hinata either…"

He noticed that she didn't call refer to Hinata as "her sister" . He had long figured out that he was Hanabi's friend _despite_ being Hinata's team-mate, not because of it, but he didn't know things were **that** bad between them. He decided to change the subject.

"So… Hanabi… What were you doing, running around in the festival?"  
"I was heading towards the central stage. My clan is going to do a martial arts display on the last day of the festival and I wanted to help in the preparations before starting my practice."  
"You really _love_ martial arts, don't you?"

Hanabi stretched her arms upwards as she looked dreamily into the distance.

"Yep! I think I am probably going to choose my partner based on them too."  
"You want to marry someone who fights in the same way as you?"  
"I don't know about marriage but _relationship_ wise… I want… someone that _complements_ my style."  
"What do you mean, 'someone that complements your style'?"  
"It's kind of hard to explain…"  
"Try me…"

Hanabi took a deep breath as she tried to give Kiba a good answer.

"Do you know my cousin Neji?"  
"I've met him a few times, what does he have to do with anything?"  
"Well, he is partnered with an awesome female kunoichi named Tenten who complements him completely."

Kiba tried to understand what Hanabi was saying to him.

"The Hyuga fighting style is deadly at close range, but it's rather weak towards people who can attack from a distance. If you can't get near your opponent you are pretty much done for. Neji is good at fighting at close range but there was one time when he had to face this really cheap opponent that wouldn't let him get near him. He almost got himself killed."

Kiba winced. He remembered that mission. It almost got him and Akamaru killed as well.

"And what does this TenTen girl have to do with this?"  
"She is very good at attacking from a distance, hitting all her targets with great accuracy. She protects my cousin from distance attacks and he protects her from melee attacks."  
"And that's all that you want? A long-distance fighter? Kind of shallow if you ask me."  
"It's actually way more than that… they also complement each other character wise…"  
"Meaning…"  
"My cousin's mind is sort of set in the old traditional ways of thinking while Tenten can think outside the box. Whenever they are stuck in a difficult situation, she always manages come up with something that solves everything..."

Kiba looked at Hanabi as her face brightened up. She clearly loved and admired her cousin.

"My cousin is always so rigid and serious. Tenten always manages to make him lighten up and smile. He seems to be happy when she is around and she seems to like being close to him and teasing him. They are very different but they seem to complete each other both as combat partners and as friends… That's the sort of relationship I want I guess."

He nodded as he finally understood what Hanabi was saying.

"So, you want a Yin to your Yang? Is that what you are saying?"  
"You could it say that way… yeah… So…"  
"So?"  
"How about you? What sort of person are you looking for?"

He scratched the back of his head.

"You know… I've never really thought about it... Whatever works I guess…"  
"What sort of answer is _that_?"  
"It's the only one I have… sorry!"

Hanabi huffed and puffed mockingly.

"You're not fair! I told you mine!"  
"OK, OK… If I really think about it… Someone that makes me feel… welcome…"  
"Welcome?"  
"Uhm… yeah… Somebody that makes me feel relaxed and accepted at the end of the day."  
"That's a very vague statement."  
"Deal with it!"  
"Jerk!"  
"Proud of it!"

There was a long comfortable silence broken by a small dog whine.

"About time you showed up! Did you have a good time? Why did you leave like this? Bad dog! Bad dog! No meat snacks for you today!"

Hanabi reached out her hand and gave Akamaru the last meat snack she held in her hand.

"Here I saved one for you!"

Kiba looked at her with a disapproving look.

"Please, don't do that! You're spoiling him."  
"Come-on give the dog a bone!"

He sighed as he watched Akamaru take the meat-snack out of Hanabi's hand and munched it happily.

"OK. But you're still a bad dog! Don't do this sort of thing again, OK?"

Akamaru nodded.

"Well… I'd love to stick around and witness the tearful reunion…"

She got herself up and stood on the tree branch.

"But I've got a martial arts display to do, so…"  
"OK, fine! Be on your way!"  
"Hey, Kiba…"  
"Yeah?"

She placed her hands on her hair and started to twirl them absentmindedly.

"Could you please… come and watch me?"

Kiba grinned.

"It depends, are you going to perform the 'floating vulture'?"  
"It's the 'soaring eagle' you 'sitting ass'! And yes, I will be using it at some point."  
"Then, I'd love to!"

Hanabi smiles as she took her leave and made her way back to the festival.

Two days later Kiba found himself at the front row of the central stage of the festival, looking upwards at the stage as the martial arts display that was about to begin. Hanabi was dressed up in the traditional white Hyuga fighting gear. She began the show by performing a series of complex aerial combos. As she went up in the air dressed in white hitting every target with strength and precision she looked like an angel…

…and then a bunch of guys with weapons showed up on stage and she turned into a demon.


	4. What have you been doing all this time?

**NOTE: This flashback occurs 2 hours before the first chapter.  
**

**Now, I guess I should clarify something about Hanabi's character...**

**In my mind Hanabi is someone that grew-up secluded in her family environment with martial arts and the Hyuga legacy being her entire life. She is trained to be strong, to not show any weaknesses, but she hasn't received any emotional training concerning matters of the heart. Hence, because at this point in the story she hasn't really connected back with Hinata, she doesn't really know how to handle feelings of longing and jealousy. So, when she starts developing feelings for Kiba, and sees him going out with other women, she is completely lost...**

**...which is why she acts like the way she acts in this flashback...**

**...read on..**

* * *

_What have you been doing all this time?_

* * *

Kiba winced as he placed his hand on his cheek. It still hurt…

…that was quite some slap he got back there.

So… It was over… again! Another one bites the dust!

He probably shouldn't have insulted his, now ex, girlfriend the way he did, but he really couldn't take the way she talked about Hinata.

He didn't remember what exactly it was she told him. He didn't bother to remember, because he has had that sort of conversation so much with the women that he used to sleep with, that he had already learned that particular script by heart. It was the same old "jealousy" story, and, frankly, it was pretty boring. It always had to do with him going away on missions with Hinata, spending too much time with Hinata while on the job blah, blah, blah.

"Why don't you ask for a different partner? You know? Someone who is a lot less **female**?"  
"Because there's no one I trust more to cover me and watch my back."  
"Even if it means losing me?"  
"I'd rather lose you, than lose my most trustworthy friend and possibly my life."

He could still feel that slap's sting.

And when Hinata wasn't involved in those scripts, Shino and the rest of his friends were.

"_Why are you spending so much time with them?"  
"This one's all right, but your bug-guy freaks me out, please don't hang out with him"  
"Ew! Why does your blond friend have to wear those types of skirts?"_

At some point one of the girls had asked him.

"Who is more important to you? Me or your friends?"

Kiba didn't hesitate for a second.

"Well, I have been through hell and back with my friends, shed blood and cried with my friends, so most definitely them."

She didn't take it very well.

How many has it been until now? He didn't know and he didn't care. Loyalty was a big thing for Kiba, and if he would have to choose between getting laid and standing by a friend's side he would always choose the latter.

But then again, the few times when a girl he was involved _didn't_ have any of the afore-mentioned problems, he _still_ didn't seem to be able to hold on to her. He briefly recalled a girl that befriended him by playing with Akamaru (getting along with his dog was kind of a big deal) after they got back from a mission. Things seemed to go along nicely between them. At some point he even considered telling his friends that he's met "the one"…

…and then he got drunk at a bar and started flirting around in front of her, and things broke down soon afterwards…

…OK, so maybe he _did_ have a bit of a problem as far as relationships and fidelity goes…

So what? It's not like anybody was getting hurt…

…not anyone he _cared_ about anyway.

He sniffed the air looking for his canine companion's scent. He let him out in order to spend some "quality time" with his girlfriend, but since nothing of the sort was going to happen today, it was high time to pick him up, feed him, and put him to sleep…

…before going out on the prowl again.

So, he lost a girl. Big deal! If there is one thing he learned from flirting around all those years is that there were _lots_ of them. The next one was on the way!

.

.

"Kibamaru Inuzuka?"

His train of thought was interrupted by a delicate feminine voice on his back. She was wearing a traditional kimono. Kiba recognized her scent almost immediately.

"Hanabi?"  
"Follow me please."

He could immediately sense that something was wrong with her. Her scent betrayed hints of extreme anger and frustration. She seemed to have a problem with something.

"Sure, I can always spare a few moments for a friend in need!"

Hanabi's fists clenched as he told her this.

"Just… follow me, please."

It was a short way from here to the training grounds. When they arrived there, Hanabi took off her Kimono to reveal that she was wearing her training uniform underneath. She turned around to face Kiba.

"So… Hanabi… what's wrong?"  
"Fight me…"  
"What did you just say?"

She raised her voice in a way that Kiba has never heard before.

"I SAID I WANT YOU TO FIGHT ME!"

She jumped right in front of him and started assaulting him with a quick barrage of punched and kicks. Kiba had barely had time to block and move.

"Hanabi! What the hell!"  
"Fight back! Hit me dammit!"  
"Don't wanna!"

The barrage became more intense, and even with his heightened senses, Kiba had problems blocking everything…

Still, he could still tell that something was "off" with her fighting style. This wasn't how a Hyuga fought normally. If this was a normal fight, he would have been incapacitated. He wouldn't have been able to move a single muscle or use any of his chakra. But right here, right now, after this barrage of hits, his tenketsu points were still open. He could still use his skills and his ninjutsu…

…Hanabi wasn't putting any chakra in her hits… she didn't want to simply beat him up…

…she wanted to cause him _pain. _

This wasn't a normal fight. This was retribution…

…but retribution for _what_ exactly? He didn't recall doing anything to her. He was always her friend. Whatever was happening he couldn't hit her, he couldn't rise his hand against her.

"Hanabi, please, stop this! I don't want to hurt you!"  
"TOO LATE FOR THAT!"

He felt a punch go through his solar plexus that caused his to lose his breath. He then saw her rise up in the air and rise her feet as she got ready to land a downward-kick to his face. He closed his eyes and mentally prepared himself for the pain that he would be experiencing in a few fractions of a second.

It was then that a white fang twirl hit her on the side and knocked her down on the ground.

Akamaru had noticed that his master was in trouble and had arrived to help him. He started heading full speed towards Hanabi as she was trying to get up from the ground.

"No! Akamaru! Stop! Don't hurt her!"

He managed to register his master's orders just in time to avoid hitting her. He returned over to Kiba's side and started growling at her. I was clear to her that he wouldn't let her hit Kiba anymore. The fight was over for now. She was now on her knees with her face facing downwards.

"Hanabi, what the hell was that all about?"

He saw her face contort as she was struggling to get the words out.

"**It hurts!"**  
"Well, you shouldn't have started fighting me like this then."  
"It hurts when I see you with all those women!"  
"Huh?"

Kiba's eyes widened in surprise as he listened to her.

"It hurts when I see you break up with them. And it hurts even more when I see you return to them."

She clutched her chest as she talked. This was getting painful to her.

"I don't know why this is so… I think… I feel something for you. I don't know what it is. All I know is that whenever we are together hanging out, I feel happy and content, and whenever you're with some other girl, I feel like I'm getting punched in the stomach. I feel myself getting consumed by anger and I can't control it… What I mean to say is… Kiba… I think…"

_'__Oh, kami, please… no… not this…'_

**"****I want to be with you."**

Was that a confession? She didn't say the dreaded "L-word" but it certainly sounded like one…

…how the hell was he supposed to respond to this?

Hanabi, wasn't some "random" that he picked up at a bar. She was his "sister's" little sister. She was somebody that Hinata loved very much, possibly even more than Naruto, and _that_ was really saying something. He knew that if he hurt her Hinata would never forgive him, and, even more importantly, he would never forgive himself. He couldn't just reject her feelings for him and tell her he is not interested….

…But he couldn't just accept them either.

For a brief moment he wondered: what would happen if he let her in his life?

He _liked _ Hanabi. He certainly wouldn't mind being in a relationship with her. She was a cute girl, and despite some anger management issues (that his body would now attest to) she was a good person with a kind heart. He was a few years older than her, but that shouldn't be a problem. _She_ wasn't the problem.

The problem was _him_. Relationships always tended to go south with him after a while. What if he got drunk again and started flirting around like before? What if he did something even worse?

And then there was the other issue… If he got into a relationship with Hanabi, would he be able to make her happy? Would he be able to provide her with what she wanted and what she needed?

He thought long and hard about that last question.

He got up from the ground and helped Hanabi stand up on her feet again. He needed to look her in the eyes in order to tell her what she needed to hear.

"Hanabi… do you remember… that day back at the festival?"  
"Yeah…"  
"Back then… you told me that you wanted someone that complements your style, right?"

She looked at him intently with a hint of surprise. She really didn't think he recalled what they talked about back then.

"I'm sorry Hanabi. I can't be the Yin to your Yang. I am a brute brawler who tends to jump in fights without thinking. I am not smart, I can't think outside the box. I can't complete you. I mean for Kami's sake, it's been so many years and I still can't remember the name of that flying kick move you make… what was its name again… the 'Diving Owl'… I think…"

"The move is called the 'Soaring Eagle'…" Hanabi said with a slight smile.

"See? I just can't do it! The only move I am familiar with is the 'sitting ass'."

Hanabi started giggling. Kiba started whispering conspirationaly in her ear.

"Do you remember…the '**Rising Pecker**'?"

Hanabi started laughing harder. She was laughing so hard that she was down on all fours trying to contain it. Her hair was downwards completely covering her face, like a black blanket.

Kiba started to relax. If Hanabi was laughing, everything was all right in the world… Everything was going to be OK…

She stood like this for about a minute until her laughter subsided. She then got up quickly, her face not showing any sign of distress and extended her hand towards him.

"Still good friends Kiba?"

He took her hand and squeezed it.

"Still good friends Hanabi."  
"I'm going to head home… Sorry, about what happened today."

Kiba could help but feel relief...

"Hey, that's my line! Take care of yourself Hanabi!" His face formed a wide grin as she started running towards the direction of the Hyuga compound.

"Well, Akamaru! Looks like crisis was averted! Let's go home and rest for the rest of the night, OK?"

Akamaru didn't reply. Instead he stood silently at the place where Hanabi was previously standing.

"OK, boy, tell me what is it?"

He saw his dog, point his face towards the ground. Clearly there was something there that he should know.

"All right. The ground, what is it?'

The dog's paw touched a certain spot, urging Kiba to touch it as well.

"So, the ground in this spot is wet. What about…"

The sudden realization hit him worse than Hanabi's previous punch in the solar plexus. This was the place Hanabi stood while she was bent over. The ground around that spot was dry. All this time she was bent over, she wasn't laughing… she was crying while pretending to laugh.

_'__Kami, help me, what have I done?'_

* * *

**This is the first time I've written a breakup scene! How do you guys like it? Please tell me in the review!  
**


	5. Back at the mirror

The mirror asked those three questions once again.

_"__Who are you?"_

Kiba studied his reflection once more…

He wasn't a little kid, and he wasn't a teenager anymore. His face still had that bit of youthful charm, but his features were slowly but surely maturing.

He was Kibamaru Inuzuka, member of a clan of dog-breeders that based their techniques on their canine companions. He was brash and hotheaded, not very smart, but loyal to his friends and his family. He loved his dog Akamaru more than anything in the world.

Akamaru… He was his partner for more than 12 years. Akamaru was just a young puppy when Kiba took him as his canine companion. They've been inseparable ever since.

12 years… His dog was already starting to show signs of old age. His agility was starting to drop and his eyesight was beginning to fade. Kiba knew that he was going to lose him at some point in the next few years. After that, he would probably fight the rest of his fights alone, as he really didn't want to get another dog from his clan. He would never be able to form a bond like the one he had with Akamaru.

The thought that he was going to be alone in the world, without his canine friend seriously scared Kiba. But he had to face the fact that he would eventually outlive his friend.

_"__What are you looking for?"_

He never really thought about what he was looking for until now. Meeting women and getting new experiences was always his end goal, the logic being that he would recognize that special someone when he saw her.

But, he didn't. And the few times when he almost got close to someone, he always ended up sabotaging his own relationship with her.

Was he really only after sex?

He certainly got a _lot_ of it over the years. But after all this time, after all those years, after all those women, he felt empty… unfulfilled. Something was missing in his life.

Maybe… what he really craved… was a relationship where he was accepted and loved, despite his shortcomings?

It certainly seemed nice.

_"__What have you been doing until now?"_

All this time… He was acting like an immature child. He was going from woman to woman, without thinking about the consequences. He enjoyed the sexual encounters he had, and he never really gave any thought how it affected everyone around him. He really thought that what he did was harmless fun.

But it wasn't harmless, and it wasn't consequence free…

…people got hurt… people he cared about… people he loved… people like Hanabi…

…he shouldn't have acted like such an irresponsible "sitting ass".

He winced as he looked at the face in the mirror. His face was still retaining that youthful charm, but lines were starting to form on his face. He definitely wasn't getting any younger. The face on the other side of the mirror eventually asked him one final question.

_"__What are you going to do?"_

Kiba stood long and hard thinking about this. Things could not go on as they have until now. He would have to take his life more seriously.

It was time for this dog to stop straying. The next time he got into a relationship with someone. He would make an effort to _stay._


	6. Epilogue: The two sisters

**Epilogue:**_ The two sisters_

* * *

Not every love story has a happy ending…

Hanabi opened the door to the Hyuga compound and went inside. She passed by the branch family members and smiled at the Hyuga elders. Her movements were soft and delicate, like they were supposed to be whenever she was inside here, as she slowly made her way towards the family dojo…

… she was relieved to find that nobody was inside.

She started throwing a few punches and a few kicks towards the training dummies that were inside. The hits were slow at first, but quickly became faster and more powerful. A flurry of emotions threatened to erupt inside her, as she landed a barrage of punches with an ever increasing pace and intensity.

Right now, all that existed was her and the training dummy. She didn't pay attention to anything else that was going on around her.

Which is why she was so shocked when she felt a light tap on her shoulder.

"Hanabi-chan?"

Hanabi quickly looked behind her to see that it was Hinata.

"Oh, it's only you. When did you come in?"  
"Just now. Didn't you hear the door slide open?"

The younger Hyuga sister scratched the back of her head absentmindedly.

"I guess not. I must have been too overly focused on my training I suppose."

Hinata looked at her sister with concern.

"Hanabi, are you all right?"  
"I'm _fine_ Hinata, don't worry your pretty face over it."

She felt a tinge of surprise as her sister's hands started rubbing the top of her palm. Hinata was looking at her bruised fingers rubbing them in an attempt to prevent them from swelling.

"Hanabi… You're hurt…"  
"I'll be OK, Hinata. I'll just put some ointment on it. Now let me go."

Hinata didn't let go of her Hanabi's hands. Instead she moved her arms around her back and gave her a warm embrance.

"What I mean Hanabi is… _you're in pain_."

Hanabi could feel the tears in her eyes start to well up again. She had managed to not show any weakness to Kiba. She had managed to keep her emotions in check then. But she couldn't hold it in any longer.

She heard Hinata's soft caring voice as she placed her head on her chest.

"**Sister**… please… talk to me."

The words reverberated inside her. The woman that was embracing her right now, was her **sister**. They shared the same father. They spent 9 months inside the same belly. She used to cradle her in her arms when she was a baby and play with her when she was a kid. They shared a bond of blood and kinship that could never be broken. And even though they grew apart over the years, even though Hanabi did her best to push away the "weak" Hinata, Hinata never stopped trying to approach her, to stand by her… to stand _for_ her...

And right here, right now… she was _there_ for her.

She placed her arms around Hinata's back and started crying. Tears and snot were coming gracelessly out of her nose and her eyes as she screamed inside her sister's chest.

"It's… It's over sis!... It's really over!"  
"Sh… Don't talk… Just… Let it out!"

The two sisters stood in silence, as Hanabi let the tears that were inside her flow and drop to the ground. Hinata caressed her sister's hair and lovingly kissed the top of her head...

...After this was over, they were going to have a _long_ overdue talk...

Not all love stories have a happy ending. Most love stories end in pain and disappointment. But as long as you have people who truly care about you and stand by your side, you will be able to endure the pain and move on.

And who knows? Maybe your next love story WILL be a happy one.

* * *

**Well guys, that was it! I hope you enjoyed my story even though it didn't have, quite, a happy ending.**

**As for what sort of talk Hanabi and Hinata have, you will find out in the upcoming KonoHana fic, which I will start writing after I finish the side-stories I am supposed to write.**

**This is the first time I move away from my NaruHina comfort zone, so I really want to find out:**

**Did I handle Kiba and Hanabi well as characters? Do you think they acted OOC at any point in the story?**

**Was the story any good? Did it activate your feelz? Or did it activate your gag reflex?**

**Please, please,_ please!_ Rate and Review! **

**(I am a vain man, I need my shallow validation dammit!)**


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